Bala Golf Club and Opti Announce Partnership with Philadelphia Water Department to Develop Comprehensive Stormwater Management Plan

This multi-phase project will allow Bala to optimize its on-site stormwater facilities to meet its irrigation needs, minimize flooding, and treat stormwater runoff generated from onsite and offsite locations, while achieving cost savings through stormwater credits and meeting the City's objectives to reduce stormwater pollution to local waterways. Other phases of the project will include local watershed studies and development of engineered design solutions to potentially manage stormwater from additional off-site locations, while enhancing the beauty of the Club's existing resources and land availability. In addition to Bala and Opti, other team members to the project include Amec Foster Wheeler, Viridian Landscape Studio, PEER Environmental, and the environmental law firm of Manko, Gold, Katcher & Fox, LLP.

Located in the Wynnefield Neighborhood, Bala features a classically designed golf course and offers its guests the ultimate scenic experience and event venue. There are two existing stormwater ponds on the property that discharge to the Philadelphia Water Department's ("PWD") combined sewer system, with the larger pond serving to meet Bala's irrigation needs. During heavy rainfall events, Bala experiences localized flooding in locations adjacent to each stormwater pond. Bala will use CMAC technology to control the rate and timing of flow from the ponds, thus using their storage volume more effectively for flood mitigation, water quality improvements, and water reuse in accordance with PWD regulations. By minimizing wet weather flows to the City's combined sewer system, the Club is expected to earn credits that can be applied towards their stormwater bill.

"The Club is excited about the potential for this project to significantly and beneficially manage stormwater from both onsite and offsite sources contributing to the City's municipal sewer system," said Chris Barletta, Bala's General Manager and Head Golf Professional. "Bala understands the importance of this project to the City and is looking forward to a scientific and consensus driven design process to determine the best methods for long-term stormwater management at the Club and surrounding areas."

Philadelphia is one of 860 U.S. municipalities with combined sewer systems, the overflows from which represent a major source of water pollution. Nearly 60 percent of the City's sewers are combined, with more than 11 billion gallons of stormwater and its pollutants discharged into local waterways each year. To address this issue, PWD has implemented Green City, Clean Waters, a comprehensive plan focused on reducing stormwater pollution to the City's sewers with investments in both public green infrastructure projects and private partnerships. PWD, along with the Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation (PIDC), incentivizes private property owners to implement stormwater management solutions through the Stormwater Management Incentives Program ("SMIP"). The project at Bala is wholly funded through the City's SMIP grant program. "PWD is excited to work with both Bala Golf Club and Opti to address combined sewer overflow issues and help the club achieve its own environmental goals. The existing irrigation pond presents itself as a unique retrofit opportunity, and we're looking forward to being able to assess and monitor the long-term impacts of CMAC technology," said Erin Williams, PWD's Stormwater Billing & Incentives Program Manager.

"Integrating CMAC technology with existing stormwater infrastructure and future stormwater management plans represents a tremendous opportunity for property owners to meet complex environmental goals while also achieving significant cost savings," said Marcus Quigley, CEO of Opti. "As environmental stewards with shared objectives, we are thrilled to welcome Bala Golf Club to our community and proud to continue our partnership with the City of Philadelphia."

About Bala Golf Club
Founded in 1900, Bala Golf Club has a long and storied history. Bala is the closest private golf club to Center City Philadelphia, with a challenging course spread over a secluded rolling countryside accentuated by towering pines, meandering creeks and stunning wildlife. Designed by renowned golf course designer, William S. Flynn, the Bala Golf Club is easily accessible to Bala Cynwyd, Philadelphia and the Main Line and is the area's most convenient private golf experience. For more information, visit www.balagolfclub.com.   

About Philadelphia Water Department
The Philadelphia Water Department serves the City of Philadelphia by providing integrated water and wastewater services which includes stormwater services. The Department plans for, operates, and maintains both the infrastructure and the organization necessary to purvey high-quality drinking water to provide an adequate and reliable water supply for all household, commercial, and community needs, and to sustain and enhance the region's watersheds and quality of life by managing wastewater and stormwater effectively. For more information, visit www.phila.gov/water.

About Opti
Opti is focused on improving water quality, preventing localized flooding, and mitigating combined sewer overflows through continuous monitoring and adaptive control (CMAC) of distributed stormwater infrastructure. Opti's CMAC technology uniquely combines sensor data, weather forecasts, and proprietary algorithms to optimize stormwater infrastructure through active, cloud-based control. Opti CMAC lowers the risk of managing stormwater by adaptively managing the rate and timing of stormwater flows. Opti aims to improve the effectiveness of new or existing infrastructure and help keep natural water bodies clean. For more information, visit optirtc.com or connect with the company on LinkedIn and Twitter. 

SOURCE OptiRTC, Inc.

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